She explained the incident happened six hours into the eight hour flight and the man was among a group of cricketers wearing the blue Sri Lankan polo-shirt with their country's name in yellow lettering.

She heard him tell cabin crew aboard the Boeing 777 carrying 229 passengers that he had been looking for the toilet.

A British Airways spokesman said: “During the flight a man got up and tried to go to the toilet. But instead of going to the toilet he tried to open the aircraft door in midflight.

“The event was linked to an element of alcohol. He explained his mistake and cabin crew accepted it in good faith.”

BA stressed that it is impossible to open the pressurised door in mid-flight.

At Gatwick, the players boarded a flight for Sri Lanka.

Officials confirmed that the man was a Sri Lankan cricketer but declined to name him.